Never too Cold for a Swim

        As I've mentioned in past blogs, I was a competitive swimmer my whole life--I mean, very competitive.  From the age of 6 till I was 18 I swam six days a week, two hours a night, 11 months a year and about 4 miles a night... after numerous calculations my fellow swimmers and I have come to the conclusion that we've swam about 30,000 miles in our lives.  Now, at 20 (and 5/6's) I sadly swim only a few times a year but whenever I do motivate myself to dive in a pool and swim a few laps I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy myself.
         My usual workout routine involves 45 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, the elliptical or the spin bike, and then 15-20 minutes of arm work and ab work.  The beauty of swimming is that my workout is only 30 minutes long and I get all my strength and cardio training in at the same time!  My pool routine is 66 laps (which is one mile in a 25-yard pool) and I break it into different sets:

1. 500 yd. Warm-up (20 laps of freestyle and backstroke)
2. 400 yd. I.M. (4 laps of butterfly, 4 laps of backstroke, 4 laps of breaststroke and 4 laps of freestyle)
3. 300 yd. Freestyle/Kick (12 laps of alternating freestyle and flutter kick on back)
4. 200 yd. I.M. (2 laps of butterfly, 2 laps of backstroke, 2 laps of breaststroke and 2 laps of freestyle)
5. 100 yd. Freestyle sprint (4 laps of freestyle as fast as you can!)
6. 150 yd. Warm-down (6 laps of loose freestyle or flutter kicking)

Yes, it seems like a lot but I feel great when I finish!  Here's a calorie counter for you to use after your swim work out!

Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate the calories you burned swimming:
Pace:	swimming, treading water, moderate effort, generalswimming, lake, ocean, riverswimming, leisurely, not lap swimming, generalswimming laps, freestyle, slow, moderate or light effortswimming, backstroke, generalswimming, crawl, slow (50 yards/minute), moderate or light effortswimming, sidestroke, generalswimming, synchronizedswimming, treading water, fast vigorous effortswimming, breaststroke, generalswimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effortswimming, butterfly, generalswimming, crawl, fast (75 yards/minute), vigorous effort
Weight:		PoundsKilograms
Time:		HoursMinutes

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Soup for a Snow Day!

So today I woke up to a snow day!  I slept for an extra two hours, didn't leave my bed for another two hours after that and then I was interrupted by my rumbling tummy.   I headed downstairs to find out that lunch and dinner wasn't being served today and I was going to have to fend for myself.  Unfortunately for me, I was feeling extra lazy on such a cold gray day but I was starving!  So I got on the internet and searched for healthy recipes for soup--the perfect complement to a snow day.  I found this recipe on a site called "Eating Well" for a different spin on chicken soup and it was delicious!  Try it out!

Chicken and Spinach Soup

5 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup carrot or diced red bell pepper
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into quarters
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup plain or herbed multigrain croutons for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot (or bell pepper) and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
3. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons, if desired.

Eating Healthy in College!

We've all heard about the dreaded "Freshman 15" and unfortunately, many of us probably have experienced something similar to this cliche!  I found this video on youtube added by a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist, Charlotte Lawson, who graduated from Michigan State University.  Ultimately, the video gives students (or anyone for that matter) a few guidelines as to how to keep your diet healthy and stable.  Everyone knows that at some point in life your parents aren't going to be there to force-feed you your greens which is why it's important to learn the facts and motivate yourself to stay healthy. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for late night eating--nachos and pizza especially--but I'll also be the first to admit that I know I'm stupid for doing that!  This video gives a light and refreshing view on how to avoid such encounters and what would act as a great substitute.

Star Workout of Brooke Burke!

Celebrity Brooke Burke may not be 20-years-old anymore (she's 39) but by the way she looks, you'd never know it!  Brooke recently was featured in SHAPE magazine where she shared with readers how she stays in shape with a healthy diet, but also with her toning workout plan.  Her plan works by exercising 3-4 times a week, doing 3 sets of 15 reps of the following moves.
*Routine and pictures adapted from January issue of SHAPE magazine.

THE MOVES:
-Criss Cross Kick to work out your butt, legs and core.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands in fists under chin, and knees slightly bent.  Cross your right foot behind left, and bend knees, then kick left leg at hip height out to side.  Place left foot on the floor beside right and repeat!  Don't forget to switch directions!

-Plank with Knee Twist to work out butt, shoulders, arms, and core.
Get in plank position with shoulders aligned over wrists.  Bring left knee forward and to the right, then extend left leg straight back behind you as you raise your hips.  Return to the starting position and repeat.  Again, don't forget to switch directions!

-Ball Hip-Extension to work out butt, back and legs.  For this exercise you'll need a stablility ball!

Lie facedown with hips centered on a stability ball and legs extended behind you.  Place hands on the floor in front of you, shoulders aligned over wrists.  Raise legs so they're in line with torso, then lower legs and repeat!

It's One of Those Days...

I'm currently sitting in my oh-so-comfy bed looking at the frigid, gray day outside of my window and the idea of getting out from under my covers just sounds CRAZY!  Today is just one of those days when doing anything except sitting in bed and watching hours of the food network and bad reality t.v., just doesn't seem feasible.  However, for me, it's days like this that I know I have to force myself out of my bed and get moving...eventually at least!
As it is, waking up to a gray sky can put a damper on my day (I thrive on sunlight)  so on a gray day like today when you're not in the highest of spirits, going to the gym with a great playlist is the perfect solution to get yourself moving.  I'm giving myself another 30 minutes to be a vegetable in my bed, and then I'm going to get my butt out of my room and be productive!

Something to Munch on without the Guilt!

I love junk food.  For 12 years I was an avid swimmer, (swimming 4-6 miles every night, six days a week, eleven months of the year) and as a result, I had the luxury of eating ANYTHING I wanted.  I'd come home from a practice, eat my second dinner of the night, and then sit on the couch with a "Value Size" bag of Doritos and polish that off!  Unfortunately, it pains me to have realized that those days are 3 years in the past... even if I do have a stellar performance at the gym three times a week.  It's not all bad though!  I've learned that healthy food can be delicious if you know what to do with it, so I'm posting my first healthy recipe! This is a recipe I found on the Weight Watchers website (which made me a bit skeptical at first) but I gave it a try and the results were yummmmmmmy!  It's an Italian pepper and egg sandwich, great for anytime of day, and here are the directions:

Ingredients

	2 tsp olive oil
	1 small onion(s), thinly sliced
	1 large green pepper(s), such as a cubanelle, thinly sliced
	1 tsp minced garlic
	4 large egg(s)
	3 large egg white(s)
	1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
	4 item(s) reduced-calorie hamburger roll(s), toasted if desired

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pepper; saute until tender and light golden, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set vegetables aside.
  
• In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper. Scramble in same skillet over medium heat until almost cooked, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add vegetables back to skillet and gently mix; continue scrambling until eggs are set but not dry, about 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
  
• Top each roll bottom with about 3/4 cup egg mixture; cover with roll tops and serve. Yields 1 sandwich per serving.

Welcome to Fit without a Frown!

The life of many average college students goes something like this:  Study (a lot).  Eat (a lot).  Drink (a lot).  Eat (a lot).  Sleep (a lot or a little--depending on the day).  Certainly not the healthiest of lifestyles.  At 20 years old this routine is all too familiar, and as a result, so is the constant complaining of peers about their physical appearance.  As much as I would like to shake these complainers sometimes and remind them that  their own life decisions do have consequences they may not like, I also understand the laziness of college students, as well as any one else.  

I personally have been an athlete my whole life and I enjoy my 4 hours spent weekly at the gym, but that's not to say my own body hasn't suffered at all from college life and that definitely doesn't mean that my own laziness steers clear of whatever productive, health routine I try to implement for myself.  On any rainy day, any snowy day, or any "too-beautiful-to-miss" day, I can always come up with at least 2 good reasons to skip out on the gym, enjoy a comforting 3-slices of pizza, or drink glass after glass of soda when I have ice-cold, filtered water right in front of me.  

That's why I decided to make this blog, "Fit without a Frown."  I thought a site like this could guide people in their healthy-living endeavors by posting recipes for yummy food that won't affect how your jeans fit the next day.  Or by posting exercise routines that are fun, fast and easy.  Or by posting tips for a happier, more fulfilling lifestyle... You get the point!  Basically, I think we can all agree that it's always easier to take on challenges when there's someone there encouraging and guiding you along the way.  So use this site as just that--a voice to educate, inspire and motivate yourself to become the best version of you!